Tire downsizing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for downsizing tires, and an automated downsizing apparatus utilize a cradle, mandrel table, cutting apparatus, and a control unit. In various embodiments, a tire mounted on the cradle may be received by the movable and rotatable mandrel table, and positioned for engagement with the cutting apparatus. Users may customize one or more cutting configurations to be executed by the control unit. The control unit positions the mandrel table and cutting apparatus to remove portions from the tire, according to the cutting configurations. During tire downsizing operations, one or more system parameters may be monitored to determine compliance with the selected configuration, and the automated execution may be manually overridden.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of ProvisionalU.S. Patent Application No. 62/556,223, filed on Sep. 8, 2017. Thecontents are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forcutting tires. More specifically, the present disclosure relates todownsizing tires according to automated cutting operations.

BACKGROUND

Tire cutting apparatuses are often utilized to break down a tire intosmaller pieces for recycling and disposal. Tires are often comprised ofa tough, dense material, such as rubber, which is beneficial fordurability during the tire's lifespan and intended use. However, thisalso results in tire cutting apparatuses requiring great power andcutting force to cut through the thick material.

Accordingly, traditional tire cutting apparatuses are often largermachines having enough power to break down the tire into multiplepieces. These apparatuses often require a human operator, or at least agreat amount of human intervention to make cuts to the tire and/orsupervise the operation of the machinery. However, these apparatusesoften have additional labor costs associated with the human operationand/or supervision of the cutting operation. It may also be difficult,if not impossible to ensure uniformity in the size of the pieces beingcut from the tire due to operator variability and subjectivity in thecuts.

Even in semi-automated cutting machines, ensuring uniformity of the cutpieces and/or customizing the size and type of cut can be difficult. Thenumber of types of cuts made to a tire may be limited, and apparatusesmay be specifically designed for a particular size or model of tire. Assuch, parameters of the cut cannot be easily changed, automated, oradapted other types. In addition, given the large size and heavy weightof tires—especially tires for large vehicles and heavymachinery—positioning and stabilizing tires to receive a great amount ofcutting force proves difficult, and the cutting machines may require theuse of heavy machinery to load/unload, lift, and reposition the tireinto an appropriate orientation for cutting.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to downsizing tires using automatedsystems and methods. In an embodiment, a downsizing apparatus comprisesa loading/unloading cradle, a mandrel affixed to a mandrel table, acutting apparatus with a plurality of blades, a power unit, a controlunit to execute the cutting process, and a conveyor belt to transportremoved tire pieces.

In an embodiment, the loading/unloading cradle secures a tire, andenables the mandrel to receive the tire, and place the tire in aposition to engage the cutting apparatus. The mandrel table is bothmovable and rotatable, to allow precise positioning of the tire in bothhorizontal and vertical positions without the need for a crane or othermachinery.

A control unit automates the downsizing operation, and may receive userinput indicating a pre-determined and/or customized cutting process forthe tire. The control unit can send positioning information to themandrel table and cutting apparatus to coordinate cutting tire portions,according to the selected cutting configuration.

Each process in the downsizing system may be fully automated, therebystreamlining the downsizing operations and significantly reducing theamount of user operation and intervention. As a result, cuttingoperations are customized and completed quickly and efficiently. Theoperations may be executed on a range of tire sizes, styles, and shapes,including but not limited to oversized tires, radial tires, and textiletires.

According to an embodiment, the cutting apparatus comprises at least twoopposing blades. The blades contact opposite sides of a width of thetire to cut the tire in a shearing action, and remove a portion from thetire bead. The blades may asymmetric blades, and may also be L-shaped.During the cutting operation, one or more system parameters may bemonitored to determine system diagnostics and/or compliance with theuser-selected configuration.

In an embodiment, automation may be manually overridden at any timeduring the cutting configuration's execution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will becomemore fully apparent from the following description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only severalembodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are therefore, not tobe considered limiting of its scope. The disclosure will be describedwith additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a tire downsizing apparatus inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for an automated tire cutting process, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts an example loading operation, and loading cradle, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts an example mounting operation, and mandrel table, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 depicts an operation to select an automation recipe based on tiremodel;

FIG. 6 depicts an operation to select an automation recipe based onchunk size;

FIG. 7 depicts various mandrel table adjustments and positions, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 depicts the cutting apparatus during an automated operation;

FIG. 9 depicts an example manual override during an automated operation;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of monitored operating conditions, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 depicts an unloading operating, in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 depicts a side view and plan view of the downsizing machine, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 depicts a side view of the machine during a cutting operation;and

FIG. 14 depicts various features of the tire downsizing machine inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Various examples of the present disclosure described herein aregenerally directed to systems and methods for, among other things,downsizing tires and automating related operations. It will beunderstood that the provided examples are for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, and are not meant to limit or restrict the claimedsubject matter or relevant portions of this disclosure in any manner.

Turning to FIG. 1, an example tire downsizing machine 100 is depicted,comprising a loading cradle 105, a mandrel 110 affixed to a mandreltable 130, a cutting apparatus 140, a control unit 150, and a conveyorbelt 160. An automated cutting process may be controlled by the controlunit 150, which can receive user input via a user interface on acomputing device indicating a pre-set, or pre-determined cuttingprocess, or “recipe”. The control unit may be in wired or wirelessnetwork communication with various components of the tire downsizingapparatus, including, but not limited to, the mandrel table, the cuttingapparatus, conveyor belt, and computing device.

An automated tire downsizing process may begin when a tire 120 is loadedonto the loading cradle 105. The tire may be loaded onto the cradle witha forklift or similar equipment or machinery to properly position thetire in the cradle. From the loading cradle 105, the tire may be mountedonto the mandrel table 130, secured by the mandrel 110. The control unitmay direct a rotational movement of the mandrel table 130, and aposition of the mandrel table relative to the cutting apparatus. Theposition of the cutting apparatus 140, may also be controlled by thecontrol unit, to alter a distance between the cutting apparatus andmandrel table. The control unit may also control a cutting operation ofthe cutting apparatus by coordinating movements between the mandreltable and cutting apparatus, based on the instructions, i.e., recipe,received from the computing device. For example, a rotational movementand position of the mandrel table may be coordinated with the cuttingmovements of the cutting apparatus 140 to remove one or more chunks fromthe bead of the tire in accordance with the cutting operation. Aconveyor belt 160, or other transport system may receive and transportthe one or more chunks away from the cutting area to a differentlocation.

FIG. 2 presents a flowchart for the downsizing operation, and may beutilized with the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1. At block 200, a tire maybe loaded onto the loading cradle using a forklift 310 or similarmachine. As described herein, the loading process does not require theuse of cranes or additional machinery to place the tire in thedownsizing operation, and may be easily performed using only a forklift.However, it will be appreciated that various embodiments do not precludethe use of one or more machines to properly position the tire within theloading cradle.

Once positioned, the mandrel table 130 may receive the tire from theloading cradle, with the mandrel 110 positioned within the center of thetire to secure the tire through various horizontal and verticalmovements. As depicted in block 210, the mandrel may receive the tire ina manual operation. In an embodiment, the loading cradle 105 and themandrel table may each be movable along a track. During a loadingoperation, for example, the loading cradle and the mandrel table maymove relative to each other to properly position the mandrel through thecenter portion of the tire 120. In another embodiment, the mandrel table130 is vertically and horizontally movable, as well as rotatable. Themandrel table's movement allows precise positioning of the mandrel 110to receive the tire and properly position the tire during subsequentoperations.

After the tire 120 is secured on the mandrel table, the operator may setthe cutting recipe 220, through one or more user interfaces associatedwith the control unit 150. The control unit may be in communication withone or more computing devices providing an interface to receive recipeinstructions from a user. Alternatively, the control unit may be acomputing device in communication with components of the tire downsizingapparatus descried herein, and may have an interface to receive userinstruction. In various embodiments, the user interface may be a touchscreen interface on which users may specify cutting recipes and aspectsof various cutting operation. A cutting recipe, for example, maydetermine various parameters of the cutting operation, including but notlimited to the size and type of cut made to the tire. The cuttingoperation and its parameters may also be based on tire size, tire model,a pre-determined cut, or an operating condition of the machine. Oncecontrol unit receives the recipe and other operating instructions, thecontrol unit may execute the instructions through communication with thedifferent elements of the system, including but not limited to, theloading cradle 105, the mandrel table 130, the cutting apparatus 140,and the conveyor belt 160.

At block 230, the mandrel may position itself to a pre-set operatingposition, in preparation for a tire cutting operation. In an embodiment,this position may be set by the user, or as part of a selected recipe.In another example, the pre-set operating position may move the tirefrom a vertical position, i.e., when received from the cradle, to ahorizontal or substantially horizontal position, ready to engage thecutting apparatus.

The automatic cutting process at block 240 begins once the operatingposition for the tire 120 and cutting apparatus 140 is positioned toengage the tire. The control unit executes the cutting process bycoordinating the mandrel table 130 and cutting apparatus 140 accordingto the selected recipe. In an embodiment, the control unit positions themandrel table 130 such that the mounted tire 120 contacts the cuttingapparatus at an appropriate position to remove a chunk from the tire.

Throughout the cutting operation, the control unit can monitor varioussystem components through one or more sensors, and determine if the tireparameters are compliant with the recipe 250. The sensors may alsodetermine if there are errors or faulty equipment within the system. Forexample, as depicted in FIG. 10, one or more operating conditions of theblades may be monitored. In one embodiment, graphical data 1010 andnumerical data 1020 may be provided about the time, location, andpressure cutting pressure to determine if blades are still sharp, orneed to be replaced. Based on that data, either the user or the systemcan determine if action should be taken. A range of sensors anddiagnostic information may be obtained and presented in various methods,depending on user considerations and design preferences.

In an embodiment, compliance determinations at block 250 may be made atpre-determined intervals throughout the process (e.g., time, number ofcuts, etc.), in response to a measured system parameter, or depending onuser preferences.

If the control system determines that the parameters are not compliant,the operator may manually override the automation 255 and adjust one ormore parameters through the control unit, e.g., a user interfaceassociated with the control unit, until the cutting recipe has beencompleted. Conversely, if the system makes a determination that the tireparameters are indeed compliant to the recipe, then the cuttingoperation continues until the end of the recipe is reached. At thatpoint, the cutting process ends 260.

When the cutting operation is finished, at block 260, the shears stop,and the tire bead 1140 remains on the mandrel table. At this point, themandrel table can return the tire bead 1140 to the cradle 1130 forunloading 270. The repositioning of the tire may be done similar to theloading process described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 7, but in reverse.In the unloading process, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the mandrel tablerepositions itself to move the tire bead 1140 from its horizontalposition during cutting 1110, towards a vertical position 1120, to besecured in the cradle 1130. During this process, as the mandrel table130 automatically moves to a vertical position for unloading after thecutting operation is complete. The cradle arms 410 may separate toprovide space to receive the tire, and the mandrel table may extendtowards the loading cradle to position the tire between the cradle arms.Once positioned in the loading cradle, the cradle arms may then retractto secure the tire, and the mandrel table may retract, leaving the tiresecured on the loading cradle.

Similar to the loading process, the cradle's retaining system (i.e.,cradle arms 410) facilitates the tire bead's extraction from the cradle280. The tire bead 1140 may be easily removed with a common forklift310, and does not require any heavy machinery or complex process tounload. The tire bead may be placed in a dedicated ubication, i.e.,location, 290 (e.g., a location for storage or recycling purposes), anda new tire may be obtained for a subsequent downsizing process 295.

The downsizing operation is not limited to the order or the stepspresented herein. These operations may be altered or reordered dependingon considerations including, but not limited to, user preference, tiresize, desired bead or chunk size, time, efficiency, and availablemachinery. Additional details on the discussed methods and systems aremore fully described below, according to the various examples andembodiments depicted in FIGS. 3-14.

FIG. 3 illustrates a loading/unloading cradle 105 that may be used in anembodiment. The cradle 105 is designed to simplify the loading andunloading processes. For example, a tire may be loaded vertically ontothe loading cradle 105, and securely mounted between the cradle arms 410using only a forklift 310, for example. In an embodiment, the loadingcradle comprises a restraining system to keep the tire in place. Cradlearms 410 may be separated or retracted, to receive tires of varioussizes.

In an embodiment, tires are vertically secured to allow the mandrel toefficiently receive and mount the tire on the mandrel table 130. Inanother embodiment, the cradle may move along a horizontal track toengage the tire with the mandrel. As with other operations describedherein, this may be fully automated, using the control unit or othermeans. Such cradle designs may eliminate the need for a crane or similarheavy handling machines to load a tire to the apparatus, and reduce theoperator intervention needed to execute the downsizing process.

FIG. 4 depicts an example mounting operation from the cradle 105 to themandrel 110 and mandrel table 130. The mandrel's initial angled positionbecomes horizontal, due to the mandrel table's movement to a verticalposition. The vertical mandrel table may horizontally move along thetrack to position the mandrel 110 within the center of the tire 110, andreceive the tire from the loading cradle 105. Once the mandrel 110 ispositioned within the center of the tire, the cradle arms 410 mayseparate so that when the mandrel table 130 transitions from ahorizontal to vertical position, the tire 120 may be secured andlikewise repositioned to a horizontal position on the mandrel table, inresponse to movement by the mandrel table 130.

The cradle's restraining system is further utilized in the exampleembodiment. Before the mandrel receives the tire, the cradle arms 410 oneither side of the tire, secure the tire in a vertical position andprevents movement. In the embodiment, after the mandrel 110 ispositioned within the center of the tire 120, the cradle arms 410separate to release the tire and allow the mandrel table 130 toreposition the tire.

As described herein, adjustments to the mandrel table's position and/orthe loading cradle's position may be executed through a manualoperation, e.g., with an operator controlling each element's movement,or through an automated operation, e.g., with the control unit.

FIGS. 5-6 depict example control unit interfaces. The control unit maycomprise a touch screen and installed software to execute a userinterface that allows operators to easily and efficiently select thedesired cutting recipe. The control unit communicates with the variouselements of the downsizing system, for example the cradle, the mandreltable, and the cutting apparatus, and may control each element's variousfunctions and movement. As such, the control unit is able to synchronizethe downsizing operation and may automate the overall cuttingoperations. In an embodiment, one or more sensors provide feedback tothe control unit, as described below, to provide further information andcustomization options to the user.

Each of the processes, methods and algorithms described in the precedingsections with regard to the control unit may be embodied in, and fullyor partially automated by, code modules executed by one or morecomputers or computer processors. The code modules may be stored on anytype of non-transitory computer-readable medium or computer storagedevice, such as hard drives, solid state memory, optical disc and/or thelike. The processes and algorithms may be implemented partially orwholly in application-specific circuitry. The results of the disclosedprocesses and process steps may be stored, persistently or otherwise, inany type of non-transitory computer storage such as, e.g., volatile ornon-volatile storage. The various features and processes described abovemay be used independently of one another, or may be combined in variousways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended tofall within the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, some or all of the control unit systems and/ormodules may be implemented or provided in other ways, such as at leastpartially in firmware and/or hardware, including, but not limited to,one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), standardintegrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriateinstructions, and including microcontrollers and/or embeddedcontrollers), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complexprogrammable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

Some or all of the modules, systems and data structures may be stored(e.g., as software instructions or structured data) on acomputer-readable medium, such as a hard disk, a memory, a network or aportable media article to be read by an appropriate drive or via anappropriate connection. The control unit systems, modules and datastructures may also be transmitted as generated data signals (e.g., aspart of a carrier wave or other analog or digital propagated signal) ona variety of computer-readable transmission media, includingwireless-based and wired/cable-based media, and may take a variety offorms (e.g., as part of a single or multiplexed analog signal, or asmultiple discrete digital packets or frames). Such computer programproducts may also take other forms in other embodiments. Accordingly,the present disclosure may be practiced with other computer systemconfigurations.

In an example, the control unit interface may allow a user to select apre-set recipe, create a custom recipe (which may be based on a pre-setrecipe), or adjust one or more characteristics of the downsizingoperation. In FIG. 5 for example, the operator may set the desiredrecipe according a selected tire model. The selected tire model mayprovide further information about the tire's size, weight, anddimensions.

Recipes may be designed for particular tire models, and define cuttingoperation parameters to result in chunks of a particular size. In anembodiment, custom recipes may be saved. This provides users with easyaccess to commonly used recipes, and reduces the amount of time neededto select and execute the downsizing operation.

In another embodiment, the user interface additionally displays systeminformation 510, 520, and may allow operators to adjust one or moresystem parameters. Such parameters may include cutting pressure, bladesharpness, temperature, power, or position. In another example, positioninformation about one or more components 510, including the cuttingapparatus, mandrel table, and loading cradle is provided on theinterface. Power and temperature information 520, in addition to otherdiagnostics, may be provided to allow the user to monitor the system'sfunction, health, and available operations. These may be obtained by oneor more sensors 530 throughout the system, which are in communicationwith the control unit. Users can use this information to determine theoptimal recipe for downsizing the tire, for example, or monitor thesystem's health. Displayed diagnostic information may also help identifypotential system issues, or act as a warning if errors occur.

Another example control unit interface is depicted in FIG. 6. In theembodiment, chunk sizes and cutting parameters may be further refinedbased on specific user preferences or the tire dimensions. Informationmay be provided about the tire size, tire model, tire bead width, andtread width. Users may set the cuts based on a desired angle, or lengthof the cut. In another embodiment, an estimated time for completion 610may be determined based on user selections. Dimensions of the downsizedtire bead 620 may also be estimated. Each of these considerations may beused to assist the user in determining the appropriate recipe.

FIG. 7 depicts a mandrel table during a repositioning operation. In anembodiment, a hydraulic system may support the mandrel table 130 duringrepositioning, and provide the power to withstand the weight of largetires and precisely control movements. It will be appreciated, however,that other mechanical and electrical systems may be utilized to providepower and support to the mandrel table for movement and repositioningoperations.

In the example, the mandrel table places a mounted tire in a position toengage the cutting apparatus. At 710, the tire and mandrel table 130 arein an angled vertical position, which may occur after theloading/unloading cradle receives the tire. In 720, the mandrel tablemay be lowered so that the tire is repositioned horizontally. Thishorizontal position 730 prepares the tire to engage with the cuttingapparatus, and may be defined as the mandrel table's pre-set operatingposition, as described above. The cutting apparatus may subsequentlyengage the tread of the tire and remove chunks from the tire bead, inaccordance with various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example cutting apparatus comprising a pluralityof blades 810. In an embodiment, the blades may have asymmetric teeth820 and may also be L-shaped. In an embodiment, an upper blade may bedifferent than the lower blade. In another embodiment, both blades arethe same. For example, an upper blade may comprise a straight blade,curved blade, or shearing blade, while a bottom blade comprises aplurality of teeth, which may be asymmetric. Asymmetrical blades,wherein one or more of the plurality of blades have teeth of varyingsize, may reduce cutting stresses during downsizing operations. However,various blade combinations and designs may be implemented in accordancewith the embodiments described herein.

As depicted in FIG. 8, the blades 810 are positioned opposite to eachother, so that the blades may cut the tire in a shearing action, andremove one or more portions from the tire. In an embodiment, the bladescontact opposite sides of a width of the tire. In another example, theblades shear only outer portions of the tire, and leave the bead of thetire intact. Various sized cuts may be made to the tire in accordance toa selected recipe, the type of blade(s) on the cutting apparatus, ormanual operation, as described herein.

The cutting apparatus uses a power unit 170 to provide the necessaryforce to cut through the tires and remove the tire chunks. In anembodiment, the power unit is a hydraulic unit 1210. In an embodiment,the power unit is the same unit used to support the mandrel table duringrepositioning operations.

During a cutting operation, the control unit may coordinate the cuttingapparatus and the mandrel table's movements to remove a tire chunkaccording to the defined recipe. The control unit may signal when thecutting apparatus should execute the cutting operation. The control unitmay also signal mandrel table 130 to rotate the tire at a predeterminedamount after each cut, to correctly position the mandrel table andcutting apparatus for a subsequent cut. The synchronization between thetwo elements should result in chunks and tire beads sized according theselected recipe.

After a cut is completed, the removed chunk may fall onto a conveyorbelt 160 located beneath the cutting apparatus and tire. The belt'smovement may also be automated and controlled by the control unit. Usersmay select the speed and timing of the belt's operation, for example. Inan embodiment, the conveyor belt 160 can transport the chunks to adifferent machine or location, for collection, recycling, or furtherprocessing.

FIG. 9 depicts an example manual adjustment during a cutting operation.Manual adjustments to a selected recipe may be made at any time duringthe downsizing operation. This feature enhances both customization andsystem safety. In an embodiment, the manual override may compriseadjusting system parameters through the control unit's user interface. Auser action, such as a swipe or other touch-screen movement 910, maysignal to the control unit that a manual override is being executed.From there, the user may adjust recipe parameters (e.g., cut size), oralter the position of system components. In another embodiment, manualadjustment may be done on a manual console located on or near thedownsizing system.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, manual adjustments may be desired due tosystem information obtained from one or more sensors. The sensors maygather information before, during, or after downsizing operations. Inone example, sensors can obtain cutting pressure data 1010, 1020 duringeach cut, as well as the time each cut occurred. Other diagnosticinformation may be inferred from the sensor data, including, but notlimited to, blade sharpness or system errors, for example.

FIG. 11 illustrates the unloading process after the cutting recipe hasbeen completed. In an embodiment, only the tire bead 1140 remains on themandrel after the cutting operation. At 1110, the mandrel table 130begins to reposition the tire for placement in the cradle. The mandreltable 130, lifts the tire into a horizontal position 1120, and placesthe tire within the cradle 1130. During this operation, the tire bead1140 remains secured by the mandrel. In an example, the cradle arms areseparated to receive the tire bead, and retract to secure the tire beadonce the tire is in its proper position within the cradle. Once secured,the mandrel table may move along a track to extract the attached mandrelfrom the center of the tire bead. Then, similar to the loading process,a forklift or similar machine, may remove the tire bead from theloading/unloading cradle.

FIG. 12 provides a side view and plan view of the downsizing machine,during the loading process. In 1200, the tire has been mounted onto thecradle by a forklift, and secured until the mandrel table 130 receivesthe tire. The plan view 1205 depicts the tire mounted on the mandreltable, in a position to engage the cutting apparatus 140. The hydraulicunit 1210 powers the cutting apparatus, and the control unit 150coordinates the execution of a selected recipe for downsizing.

FIG. 13 illustrates the cutting apparatus 140, mandrel table 130, andtire 120 during a cutting process. The asymmetric blades reduce cuttingstress during the cutting operations, and allow for precise cuts tocreate chunks according the executed recipe. The mandrel table 130serves to secure and position the tire during cutting operations, inaccordance with the embodiments described herein.

An alternative perspective view of the downsizing apparatus during acutting process is depicted in FIG. 14. The cradle 105 comprises aretaining system to secure the tire during the loading and unloadingprocess. The mandrel 110 is affixed to the mandrel table 130 and securesthe mounted tire during downsizing. The conveyor belt 160 is below thecutting apparatus, to capture and transport chunks after removal from abead of the tire. In embodiments, after a cut is made, a chunk of thetire falls directly onto the conveyor belt. The control unit 150 andhydraulic unit 1210 are positioned behind the cutting apparatus andserve to, respectively, execute the pre-selected recipe, and providepower to the cutting apparatus.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or”is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for downsizing a tire, comprising: loadinga tire onto a mandrel table, the mandrel table comprising a mandrel tosecure the tire, and being movable to adjust a position of the tirerelative to a cutting apparatus, wherein the cutting apparatus comprisesan upper blade positioned opposite a lower blade, and a power unit tooppositely drive the upper blade and the lower blade in a shearingmotion, and wherein loading the tire comprises: placing the tire in acradle, positioning the mandrel in a center of the tire, and adjusting aposition of the mandrel table to remove the tire from the cradle;receiving, at a control unit, one or more instructions indicative of atire cutting operation to remove a plurality of pieces from a bead ofthe tire, while leaving the bead of the tire intact, synchronizing,based on the instructions indicative of the tire cutting operation,movement of the mandrel table and the cutting apparatus in accordancewith the tire cutting operation, the synchronized movements comprising:adjusting the mandrel table to horizontally position the tire betweenthe blades of the cutting apparatus; oppositely driving the upper andlower blades to shear a piece from the bead of the tire; rotating thetire a predetermined amount after the piece has been removed; andrepeating the shearing and rotating motion until the plurality of pieceshave been removed from the bead of the tire.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: transporting the plurality of pieces to a locationfor processing.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises aplurality of retractable arms.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein atleast one of the upper blade and the lower blade comprises asymmetricteeth or an L-shape.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mandrel tableis movable to adjust a horizontal, a vertical, and a rotational positionof the tire.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire cuttingoperation comprises: adjusting at least one of the horizontal positionof the tire and the rotation of the tire based on information receivedthrough the user interface indicative of one or more of: a tire size, atire model, a desired tire bead size, a desired tire piece size, a typeof cut, and a current operating condition.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the current operating condition comprises one or more of acutting pressure, a blade sharpness, or a temperature of at least one ofthe cutting apparatus and the mandrel table.
 8. The method of claim 1,further comprising: during the automated cutting operation, receivingone or more instructions indicative of an update to the tire cuttingoperation; and performing the updated tired cutting operation.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the update to the automated cutting operationcomprises at least one of: stopping the automated cutting operation,changing a type of cut, changing a tire rotation speed, and changing aposition between the cutting apparatus and the mandrel table.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, loading the tire onto the mandrel table utilizes aforklift.
 11. A method, comprising: vertically placing a tire in acradle comprising retractable arms for securing the tire in a verticalposition; horizontally moving a mandrel table toward the secured tiresuch that a mandrel is placed through a center of the tire, the mandreltable being horizontally, vertically, and rotationally movable;releasing the tire from the cradle using the retractable arms;vertically positioning the mandrel such that the tire is in a horizontalposition; receiving, at a control unit communicatively coupled to themandrel table and cutting apparatus, instructions indicative of a tirecutting operation to remove a plurality of pieces from a bead of thetire while leave the bead of the tire intact, wherein the cuttingapparatus comprises an upper blade positioned opposite and above a lowerblade, and a power unit to oppositely drive the upper blade and thelower blade in a shearing motion; synchronizing movement of the mandreltable and the shearing motion of the cutting apparatus in accordancewith the cutting operation, the synchronized movements furthercomprising: adjusting a position of the mandrel table relative to thecutting apparatus such that the tire is substantially horizontal andplaced between the upper and lower blades; oppositely driving the upperand lower blades to cut through the tire; rotating the tire apredetermined amount; and repeating the cutting and rotating motion toremove a plurality of pieces from the bead of the tire; and uponcompletion of the cutting operation, adjusting the position of themandrel table to place the bead of the tired in the cradle.